A rare show of cross-company solidarity among Fiji’s aviation workforce marked International Women’s Day on Tuesday, when about 70 women from the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji, Fiji Airways, Air Terminal Services and Fiji Airports Limited gathered in Nadi to press for more gender-inclusive workplaces and clearer career pathways for women across the sector.
The “Give to Gain” event combined discussion, networking and a symbolic walk through the Nadi industrial area to visually underline women’s growing footprint in aviation. Organisers said the day focused on practical measures as much as celebration — including stronger safeguarding policies, mentoring links and clearer recruitment and promotion pathways to encourage more women into roles such as pilots, engineers and senior management.
Fiji Airways’ chief people officer Anna Morris, a key architect of the initiative, described the gathering as “a wonderful moment” born from conversation rather than confrontation. “When women get together, wonderful things happen,” she said, urging collective action to map out where the industry is headed and to identify specific barriers that must be removed to create those pathways for the next generation.
While acknowledging progress at the national carrier and across industry partners, Fiji Airways managing director and chief executive officer Paul Scurrah was candid about the work that remains. “The role of women in aviation and the tourism sector is incredibly important,” he said, adding that although true equality would mean not having to single out women, current realities demand focused effort to accelerate change.
Mr Scurrah also announced an extension of Fiji Airways’ sponsorship of the Fijian Drua to explicitly support the women’s team, framing the move as a strategic way to provide visible role models for young women across Fiji and the region. The airline says sporting sponsorships are part of a broader approach to shift perceptions of what women can achieve and to inspire career ambitions beyond traditional expectations.
Organisers described the event as an early step in what they intend to make a sustained, collaborative campaign among aviation stakeholders. Beyond the walk and speeches, participants held roundtable conversations on safeguarding in the workplace and on practical mentoring and training initiatives that can be rolled out quickly. The emphasis was on measurable change — defining clear entry routes, supportive workplace policies and visible leadership pathways so the sector’s gender balance improves not gradually but deliberately.
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